


Field Experience

by glim



Series: pthon 2014 [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community: summerpornathon, Established Relationship, M/M, Team Gluttony, Workplace Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:58:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glim/pseuds/glim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>It's been at least ten years since Merlin's come out on a dig with Arthur, and while he doesn't miss the relentless sun and grit and cramped, close quarters, he does miss seeing this: Arthur in his element.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Field Experience

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Summer Pornathon 2014 Challenge Three: Trades & Professions.

Merlin squints into the afternoon sun and rubs the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He watches Arthur work for a few more minutes then, when the wind picks up, he turns away.

"I'm going back inside."

"Already?" Arthur doesn't look up from where he's crouched on the ground. "It's just after noon."

"I'll come back out later. Besides," he says, sweeping his arm to take in the whole dig site, "you have your minions."

"Grad students," Arthur says, and laughs. "I'll be in soon for water and maybe something to eat."

Despite the grit in his hair and the sun on the back of his neck, Merlin stays to watch Arthur examine a tiny bone from a very large animal that he's spent all morning excavating from the surrounding landscape. The sun's bleached his hair an almost goldish-white, though it darkens with sweat where it curls behind his ears and at the nape of his neck. It's been at least ten years since Merlin's come out on a dig with Arthur, and while he doesn't miss the relentless sun and grit and cramped, close quarters, he does miss seeing this: Arthur in his element.

*

"Is that what you miss the most? The air conditioning?"

Merlin makes a wistful noise from behind his book. Arthur's trailer is slightly bigger and cooler than the rest on the dig site, but it's not at all comparable to the cool quiet of the museum.

"I don't know; I was getting rather fond of the 3-D printer in the office…"

Arthur shakes his head and leans down to kiss Merlin, then eases himself onto the narrow bed to keep on kissing him. His mouth is warm and dry as it presses firm kisses down Merlin's neck to his shoulder, where he pauses. "I'm sorry to take you out of your natural habitat."

That makes Merlin laugh, low and deep in his chest, and he casts his book aside to tug Arthur down onto the bed next to him. "You can make it up to me by coming to the opening of the new children's exhibits."

Arthur groans but Merlin knows that not only will he come, but also that he'll be pleased to do so. He'll talk to as many of the children there as he can, listen to each of them rattle off the names of their favorite dinosaurs and consult them on their theories of dinosaur appearance and behavior.

"I can make it up to you in other ways, too," Arthur murmurs as he unbuttons Merlin's shirt.

"Now?"

"Sure. I need a few hours out of the sun."

Grateful he's already flicked the blinds shut and stripped down to his shirt and boxers, Merlin reached up to slide his hands through Arthur's still-damp hair and pull him in for a kiss. He only stops kissing Arthur to pull off his tee shirt and continue mouthing down his chest. He nuzzles at each nipple to make Arthur gasp and hushes him with a kiss to the center of his chest.

"We need to be careful," he says, even as he undoes Arthur's belt and trousers to slide his hand inside.

Merlin likes this about Arthur, too, how careful he can be, how he can touch Merlin as gently as he does the most fragile of fossils and how he can pant against Merlin's shoulder with the same hushed tones he uses in the museum.

They've done this before--brought each other off with hands and mouths fast and silent--but never at the museum. The thought sends a shudder through Merlin and suddenly he's desperately hard, rocking against Arthur's palm and begging him with mumbled kisses to go faster, rougher. He thinks of Arthur in his office, and of himself, here, of exhibitions and excavations

He comes before Arthur, caught somewhere between reality and fantasy, and doesn't let his fantasy fade until he gets Arthur off.


End file.
